CAUTION To reduce risk of electric shock, do not remove any of the preamplifier’s cover plates or screws. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Contact qualified service personnel. WARNING To reduce risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this preamplifier to moisture, rain, or excessive humidity.
Thank you for purchasing the Constellation Audio Altair II preamplifier. This new revised version of the original Altair II has been engineered to deliver a superbly userfriendly experience—and to offer a few subtle performance enhancements as well. The Altair II employs the same revolutionary circuitry pioneered in our Altair preamp. The biggest difference is that the user can now control all functions from the front panel.
Before you install the Altair II Unpacking Because of its machined aluminum top chassis, the Altair II is heavier than the average preamp. Have an extra person nearby to help if you need it. You may wish to use gloves to protect your fingers. NOTE: Prior to plugging in the Altair II, loosen the inner black 5/32" hex shipping set screws near the feet by four turns.
Installation notes The Altair II preamplifier uses passive cooling; there are no internal fans. While the Altair II does not generate as much heat as an amplifier, it should still be located in an area with adequate ventilation. There should be at least 6 in/15 cm of clearance between the sides and top of the preamp and the nearest wall or cabinet. If the Altair II is installed in a cabinet or an equipment closet, ensure the cabinet/closet has adequate ventilation.
If your Altair II does not function correctly, refer to the Troubleshooting section at the end of this manual. If you are still unable to resolve the problem, contact your Constellation Audio dealer. If any liquid is spilled on the preamp, or if any metal object (such as a staple or a paper clip) is inadvertently forced inside, immediately disconnect the AC power and contact your Constellation Audio dealer. Source device and amplifier connections 1.
These unbalanced inputs are provided as a convenience for use with unbalanced signal sources. Whenever possible, we recommend using XLR connections instead. Connecting to an unbalanced source is handled in the same way an XLR balanced source. The input numbers from left to right, looking at the back of the Altair II are: 5right, 6right, 7right, 8right——8left, 7left, 6left, 5left. IMPORTANT NOTE: To preserve true dual-mono operation, the Altair II uses a symmetrical circuit layout.
4. RCA outputs RCA unbalanced outputs are supplied for amps and recording devices not equipped with XLR inputs. The signal at these outputs is the same—it does not matter if you use output 1 or output 2. From left to right, looking at the back of the Altair II, the outputs are: 1right, 2right——2left, 1left. When connecting to an amplifier, be sure to match the output to the correct channel on your amp.
6. USB / control This USB jack is used to interface the Altair II with third-party control systems such as those from AMX, Crestron and Control4, and also to update the Altair II’s firmware. For more information, contact your dealer. 7. Trigger This 3.5mm input jack allows the Altair II to turn a connected device (such as a Constellation Audio amplifier) on and off automatically. When the Altair II is powered up or in Standby mode, this jack emits a 12volt DC signal.
Power supply connections 9. Power outputs These outputs connect to the power inputs of the Altair II preamp. Constellation Audio has supplied special spiral-wrapped, gold-plated copper cables designed for aerospace use. Each cable is rated to handle 30 amps. Each of these jacks mates with a matching jack on the preamp. Be sure to connect the Analog power jack on the preamp to the Analog power jack on the power supply, and the Control power jack on the preamp to the Control power jack on the power supply.
Controls / displays / indicators 12 – 18. Front panel controls The front panel includes an LCD touchscreen and two knobs plus five buttons positioned underneath the display. These buttons allow you to control the Altair II without its remote. The functions of the buttons are shown using icons on the Here are the functions of the buttons and knobs: 12. Balance This knob adjusts left-to-right balance when an input screen is displayed—i.e., when an input is selected.
15. Return/back This button brings you back to the previous control screen. For example, from any input’s screen, such as XLR 1, it will take you back to the input selector screen. 16. Standby/power Push this button to turn the Altair II on and off. When you turn the unit on, it will take a few seconds for the power supply and preamp to warm up. When the preamp is ready for use, its LCD screen will show the most recently selected input, and the blue LED on the front of the power supply will come on.
Remote control The remote operates the basic functions of the Altair II. It does not operate other Constellation Audio components. 19. Standby/power Push this button to turn the Altair II on and off. When you turn the unit on, it will take a few seconds for the power supply and preamp to warm up. When the preamp is ready for use, its LCD screen will show the most recently selected input, and the blue LED on the front of the power supply will come on.
23. Input Press this button to select among the Altair II’s XLR and RCA inputs. You will have to wait a second or so between pushes of this button, because for best sound quality the Altair II uses relays to switch inputs. 24. Phase Push this to flip the phase of the Altair II’s output signal for the selected input. Use whichever setting sounds best. Control screens Many Altair II functions are controlled through the LCD touchscreen. Here is how the control screens function.
Input setup screen When you press the multifunction button labeled Setup on the input screen, this screen will appear. It allows you to set up a home theater bypass input; set minimum and maximum output levels, and change the phase of the output signal. To flip the phase of the Altair II’s output signal: Use the multifunction button below the display.
Step-by-step operating process We’ve covered all of the basic controls and indicators of the Altair II. Here’s how you use them to perform the basic operations of turning the unit on, selecting a source, adjusting the sound, and turning the unit off. STEP 1: To turn on the Altair II from the front panel, push the Standby button in the middle under the LCD touchscreen. Alternatively, you may push the Standby button on the remote.
Min button, then the Set Max button, then the Apply button. To clear these settings, press CLR Min then CLR Max, or press Default. STEP 7: To turn the system off, stop playback on the source device. Hold the Standby button in the middle under the LCD touchscreen or on the remote down for 5 seconds. The unit will enter cool-down mode for 10 seconds, during which no buttons will work. After cool-down mode finishes, you can turn the unit back on again as described in Step 1 above.
4. If neither the Mute or the Power button restores the sound, try the following steps in order. If any one of the steps restores the sound, there is no need to continue to the next steps. A. Check you are on the correct input. Cycle through available inputs using the front touchscreen controls, or select the desired input using the remote. B. Check that the source component is on and playing back—i.e., if it is a CD player, make sure that the CD is playing and not in pause mode. D.
Left-to-right balance seems off 1. If the unit has not warmed up for at least 15 to 30 minutes, there may be a temporary imbalance in the volume control’s light-dependent resistors that will cause a slight channel imbalance. You can compensate for this with the balance control, or just wait for the unit to warm up. Better yet, we recommend leaving the Altair II on all the time for the best performance. Balance and volume controls do not function 1.
